Kwabase-Efesu 4:1-32
4 Ngakho mina engiyisibotshwa+ ngenxa yeNkosi ngiyalincenga ukuthi lihambe ngendlela efanele ukubizwa elabizwa ngakho.+
2 Hlalani lizithoba,*+ limnene, libekezela+ futhi libe lesineke komunye lomunye, litshengisa ukuthi liyathandana.+
3 Zamani ngamandla wonke ukuhlala limanyene emoyeni, lilokuthula okwenza libambane libe munye.+
4 Kulomzimba owodwa+ lomoya owodwa,+ njengoba nje labizelwa ethembeni elilodwa+ ekubizweni kwenu.
5 KuleNkosi eyodwa,+ lokholo olulodwa, lobhabhathizo olulodwa,
6 loNkulunkulu oyedwa onguYise wabo bonke, ophezu kwabo bonke futhi osebenza ngabo bonke. Kanti njalo amandla akhe asebenza ngezindlela zonke.
7 Ngamunye wethu wenzelwa umusa omkhulu nguNkulunkulu. Lokhu kukhanya ngendlela uKhristu asinika ngayo isipho lesi samahala+
8 ngoba umbhalo uthi: “Wathi eseqanse waya phezulu wathumba abantu. Wanika ibandla izipho ezingabantu.”+
9 Ukuthi “eseqanse” kutshengisani? Kutshengisa ukuthi wake wehlela ezindaweni eziphansi, emhlabeni.
10 Lowo owehlayo nguye futhi owaqansa waya phezulu+ kakhulu ukwedlula amazulu wonke+ ukuze agcwalise zonke izinto.
11 Wapha ibandla abanye ukuthi babe ngabaphostoli,+ abanye babe ngabaphrofethi,+ abanye babe ngabavangeli,*+ abanye babe ngabelusi, abanye babe ngabafundisayo.+
12 Lokhu kwenzelwa ukuthi kuqeqetshwe* abangcwele ukuze benze umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu njalo bakhe umzimba kaKhristu.+
13 Lokhu bazakwenza sonke size sibe munye* ekukholweni laselwazini oluqondileyo olumayelana leNdodana kaNkulunkulu, sibe njengomuntu osekhule ngokweneleyo,+ futhi sifike ebangeni lokukhula ngokugcweleyo njengoKhristu.
14 Yikho akusamelanga sibe ngabantwana, sibe siphoselwa le lale ngamagagasi futhi siphetshulelwa le lale yimimoya yonke yemfundiso,+ ngobuqili babantu abasebenzisa amaqhinga okudlelezela.
15 Kodwa asikhulumeni iqiniso njalo sibe lothando ngoba luzasenza sikhule ezintweni zonke kuye yena oyinhloko, uKhristu.+
16 Ngaye umzimba wonke+ uyabunjwa ubambane kuhle futhi amalunga omzimba apha lokho okufunakalayo enza ukuthi izitho zawo zibambisane. Nxa isitho ngasinye sisebenza kuhle, lokho kuyawunceda umzimba ukuthi ukhule njalo uqhubeke uzakha ethandweni.+
17 Ngakho engikutshoyo lengikufakazayo ebizweni leNkosi yikuthi akufanelanga liqhubeke lihamba ngendlela abangakholwayo abahamba ngayo+ ngezingqondo zabo ezingancediyo.*+
18 Ingqondo zabo zisemnyameni futhi behlukanisiwe lokuphila okuvela kuNkulunkulu ngenxa yokungazi, ngoba inhliziyo zabo zibuthundu.
19 Akusathi thiki kubo nxa beziphatha kubi, yikho sebazinikela ekuxhwaleni*+ ukuthi baqhubeke besenza yonke imihlobo yokungcola besedlulisa amalawulo.
20 Kodwa lafunda ukuthi uKhristu kanjalo,
21 ngaphandle nxa lehluleka ukumuzwa kuhle uJesu lapho elifundisa, njengoba iqiniso likuye.
22 Lafundiswa ukuthi kumele likhiphe ubuntu obudala+ obuqhubeka busonakaliswa yizifiso ezihugayo.+ Ubuntu lobo buhambelana lendlela elaliziphatha ngayo kudala.
23 Kanti njalo kumele liqhubeke litshintsha indlela elicabanga ngayo,*+
24 futhi kufanele ligqoke ubuntu obutsha+ obadalwa ngentando kaNkulunkulu. Ubuntu lobo buvumelana lokulunga kweqiniso kanye lobuqotho.
25 Yikho-ke njengoba selitshiye ubuqili, ngamunye wenu kakhulume iqiniso kumakhelwane wakhe+ ngoba siyizitho zomzimba munye.+
26 Thukuthelani kodwa lingoni,+ ilanga kalingatshoni lilokhu lizondile.+
27 Lingamniki ithuba* uDeveli.+
28 Otshontshayo kayekele ukutshontsha kodwa kasebenze nzima, enze umsebenzi omuhle ngezandla zakhe+ ukuze abe lolutho angalunika oswelayo.+
29 Akungaphumi ilizwi elibolileyo emilonyeni yenu+ kodwa khulumani okuhle lokwakhayo kusiya ngokuthi kuyini okufunekayo, ukuze abalaleleyo bancedakale.+
30 Lingawudabukisi umoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu+ elabekwa ngawo uphawu+ lokuthi likhululwe ngenhlawulo ngelanga lokusindiswa.+
31 Susani kini konke ukufukamela inzondo,+ lokuthukuthela, lolaka, lokuklabalala, lokuthethisa+ kanye lakho konke okulimazayo.+
32 Kodwa wobani lomusa komunye lomunye, lizwelane+ njalo lithethelelane ngenhliziyo yonke njengoba nje uNkulunkulu walithethelela ngenhliziyo yonke esebenzisa uKhristu.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “lizehlisa.”
^ Kumbe, “ngabatshumayeli bezindaba ezinhle.”
^ Kumbe, “kulungisiswe.”
^ Kumbe, “simanyane.”
^ Kumbe, “eziyize.”
^ Kumbe, “ekuziphatheni okulihlazo.” NgesiGrikhi, a·sel′gei·a. Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “amandla abusa izingqondo zenu.”
^ Kumbe, “Lingamvuleli indawo.”
